Section 4
Ch. 29
A Flawed Peace
Paris PeaceTalks
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Many nations sent leaders but the main leaders were:
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Woodrow Wilson (U.S.A)
Georges Clemenceau (France)
Vittorio Orlando (Italy)
David Lloyd George (Britain)
None of the Central Powers or their allies were invited
to the peace talks.
Russia was also not present.
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
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Wilson’s plan for a just and lasting peace.
Main ideas:
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end secret treaties and alliances
give people self-determination
set up a world organization that would police the actions
of nations and prevent future wars.
TheTreaty ofVersailles
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The peace settlement of WWI
The treaty called for a League of Nations (one of
Wilson’s suggestions)
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The U.S., Britain, France, Italy, and Japan would make up
the leadership.
Germany and Russia would not be involved.
Germany Punished
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Britain and France wanted to punish Germany for the war.
German territory in Europe plus its colonies in Africa and the Pacific were
taken away.
Limits were placed on the size of Germany’s armed forces.
The “war guilt” clause in the treaty placed total blame for the war on
Germany.
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Germany had to make [reparation] payments to the Allies for damages caused
during the war;
an estimated $33 billion.
TheWarGuiltClause
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This clause, more than any other in the entire Treaty of
Versailles, was to cause lasting resentment in
Germany.
The guilt clause resulted in German humiliation and
rage.
Most sectors of German society did not understand
why all the blame was placed on the German state.
"The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and
Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her
allies for causing all the damage to which the allied and
Associated Governments and their nationals have been
subjected as a consequence of war imposed upon them by
the aggression of Germany and her allies"